Rider Chris Johnson weaved his renowned magic to extricate Son Of Maher from a pocket and hit the lead in the late stages of the 1600m event before Shadows Cast and Alysha Collett fought back tenaciously as the winning post loomed.
After a tense wait, Riccarton judge Mark Gallagher announced he could not split the Michael and Matthew Pitman-trained Son Of Maher and the Shadows Cast trained by Mark Oulaghan.
That did not faze either the owners or trainers involved who embraced each other with jubilation over their shared victory.
Son Of Maher added to the already brilliant New Zealand Cup week the Pitman stable and Chris Johnson are enjoying.
Johnson won four races on day one of the carnival, while the Pitman stable won three.
The trainers and jockey combined to made it two wins in five days when the speedy Savvy Coup backed up her impressive victory on Saturday to again score decisively yesterday.
The Pitmans also won with Pipiana, who won race 1 for rider Sam Weatherly.
Weatherly went on to match Johnson and ride a treble of winners yesterday by winning with the Terri Rae trained Kolonel Kev and the Wayne Hillis trained Nothing Trivial.
Johnson's other winner yesterday came with the Stephen Blair Edie-trained Nesta.
The Riverton horseman rewarded the horse's patient owners who went into the event having watched their horse go winless in 22 starts for six different trainers.
Patience of a different kind paid off for Wingatui jockey Corey Campbell yesterday.
The rider's rapid career rise continued when he won his first race at a New Zealand Cup carnival aboard Lochan Ora.
Campbell, who is in red-hot form having bagged his first treble at Wingatui on Melbourne Cup day, produced a patient ride after the Kelvin Tyler-trained galloper was held up and desperate for racing room for the much of the home straight.
''I was a bit worried halfway down the straight when he couldn't get the gap,'' Campbell said.
''But the horse has got that really high turn of foot so if you get him to relax he will finish over the top of most horses.''
Campbell described his first New Zealand Cup week victory as a huge thrill.
Lochan Ora was perfectly weighted carrying 50kg courtesy of the apprentice's 3kg claim.
Runner-up Nashville, who drifted well back during the race, was back to his best in his first Riccarton start since the Grand National Carnival.
Favourite Patrick Erin was brave in third, but his 7.5kg weight disadvantage over Lochan Ora and the 2.kg he gave away to Nashville looked telling at the finish.
